Procedures

Colonoscopy is indicated to investigate change in the bowel habit, rectal bleeding, abdominal pain or weight loss.

While the patient is asleep, a  special thin flexible camera called a colonoscope is carefully inserted into the large intestine. A small camera transmits an image to a monitor, allowing close examination of the bowel
and intestinal lining. In order to get the best possible view the bowel needs to be cleaned out of all waste material the day before.

A colonoscopy can detect inflamed tissue, ulcers, diverticular disease, precancerous growth (polyps) or  bowel cancer. It is also used for the screening and surveillance for colorectal cancer  or removal of bowel polyps. Colonoscopy with removal of polyps is the best way to prevent bowel cancer.

Endoscopy is indicated to investigate stomach pain,  bloating,  loose stools , heartburn iron deficiency, difficulty swallowing, nausea, vomiting, chronic cough, chest pain.

While the patient is asleep, a thin flexible camera called a endoscope is carefully inserted into the stomach and duodenum. A small camera transmits an image to a monitor, allowing close examination of stomach  lining. The only preparation for endoscopy is fasting 6 hours prior to the test. During the test biopsies can be taken. A biopsy,  means a small piece of tissue is removed for later examination with a microscope and thus we can determine Helicobacter infection,  or certain food intolerances such gluten intolerance or lactase deficiency

An endoscopy can detect stomach ulcers, coeliac disease, food Intolerances (Lactose, Sucrase and Maltase deficiency), Helicobacter infection, stomach cancers, gastro oesophageal reflux, Barrett’s oesophagus, Oesophageal cancer and helps guide the treatment of those conditions.

Capsule endoscopy is indicated to look for bleeding in hidden areas in the small  bowel. It is also useful for tracking small bowel tumours and obscure abdominal pain.

The small bowel is located between the stomach and the large bowel. This can be affected in a number of conditions but because the normal endoscopes cannot reach it can be sometimes very hard to diagnose problems with small bowel. The stomach is reached by the endoscopy, the large bowel is reached by the colonoscope but we need the capsule endoscopy to reach the small bowel.

The procedure involves  coming in the morning for 5 min to swallow the camera and returning in the afternoon at 5 pm to drop off the recorder. The capsule is very small and it is  swallowed  easily. The capsule  travels, just like a piece of food, through the small bowel and takes millions of pictures. A small computer attached to a belt track the progress of the capsule as it makes its way through the gastrointestinal system.

Endoscopic ultrasound is indicated to investigate abdominal pain, gallstones, weight loss, jaundiced and pancreatic problems

While the patient is asleep, a  special thin flexible camera with an ultrasound mounted at the end of it, it is carefully inserted into the stomach and duodenum. A small camera transmits an image to a monitor, allowing close examination of  swallowing tube (oesophagus),stomach, gallbladder and pancreas . The only preparation for endoscopy is fasting 6 hours prior to the test. During the test biopsies can be taken.

The procedure is done to diagnose small gallstones and sludge, pancreatic cysts, pancreatic cancer ,stomach and oesophageal cancer.

Argon plasma coagulation (APC) is a non-contact thermal method  that has generated much attention and excitement in recent years  and is used to treat bleeding. It is very useful in patient who have recurrent low iron or anaemia without a clear cause. At endoscopy and colonoscopy we find fine friable vessels inside the bowel called angioectasia. Argon plasma coagulation is the ideal way of treating this fine bleeding vessels in a safe and efficient way.

It was introduced as an alternative to contact thermal coagulation and to existing non-contact technologies (primarily laser). The l advantages of APC include its ease of application, speedy treatment of multiple lesions in the case of angiodysplasias or wide areas (the base of resected polyps or tumor bleeding) and safety due to reduced depth of penetration.